Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to take part in the talks as Trump pressed for the leaders to find a solution to the war, ongoing since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. But Putin spurned the call to meet face-to-face with Zelenskyy.

President Donald Trump has taken an intense personal interest in ending the war between Ukraine and Russia, recently suggesting that “nothing” will happen until he has an official meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in over three years went ahead today in Istanbul, but ended after nearly two hours amid skepticism from the US and Europe about the potential for a peace deal to end the war.